Microsoft is expanding its use of Rust in selected security-sensitive systems work—not replacing all of Windows or every C/C++ program. The company has described Rust use in Azure infrastructure, a gradual move of some Windows functionality from C++ to Rust, and specific Surface-driver and Pluton-firmware efforts. It has not published a company-wide migration schedule or quantified Rust’s share of its code.
Why is Microsoft adopting Rust?
Microsoft’s stated reason is to improve memory safety in software that still needs systems-level performance. Rust’s language features are designed to prevent several classes of memory and thread-safety errors that can arise in lower-level programming. That can reduce risk, but it does not make software invulnerable or prevent every kind of security flaw.
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In a May 11, 2023 Azure engineering post, Jeffrey Cooperstein, Partner Software Architect in Azure Security, described Rust as a language designed to compete with C and C++ performance while providing memory- and thread-safety guarantees. He said Azure had already adopted Rust in some critical infrastructure components and expected use to expand.
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Where has Microsoft described using Rust?
| Area | What Microsoft has said | What that establishes |
|---|---|---|
| Azure infrastructure | In May 2023, Microsoft said Rust was already used in some critical components and that adoption was expected to expand. | Reported use at that time; no current inventory or percentage of Azure services is specified. |
| Windows functionality | In November 2024, Microsoft said it was gradually moving some functionality from C++ implementation to Rust. | A gradual direction for some functionality, not a commitment to rewrite all of Windows. |
| Surface drivers | Microsoft’s November 2025 SFI report describes rewriting Surface Windows drivers in Rust through a Microsoft-led open-source project. | A concrete driver effort; the report does not quantify completion or the share of drivers involved. |
| Pluton firmware | Microsoft Learn’s Pluton documentation says 2024 AMD and Intel Pluton platforms would start using a Rust-based firmware foundation. | A stated platform direction; it does not establish that all Pluton firmware or all platforms use Rust. |
Is Microsoft rewriting Windows in Rust?
No evidence in these Microsoft statements supports a complete Windows rewrite. In a November 19, 2024 Windows Experience Blog post, Microsoft said it was “adopting safer programming languages, gradually moving functionality from C++ implementation to Rust.” The wording describes a gradual change to some functionality, not replacement of the entire operating system or a plan to eliminate C and C++.
The Surface-driver work is a named example of Rust use in Windows-related software, but drivers are only one part of the larger Windows ecosystem. Microsoft has not stated a company-wide conversion deadline, the percentage of Windows code being converted, or a target share of Rust across its codebase.
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How does Rust fit into Microsoft’s Secure Future Initiative?
SFI is the broader security program behind Microsoft’s emphasis on safer programming languages. In a May 3, 2024 official blog post, CEO Satya Nadella said the company would commit its entire organization to SFI. Microsoft describes its principles as Secure by Design, Secure by Default, and Secure Operations.
The 2024 Windows statement links the gradual C++-to-Rust movement to alignment with SFI. The same Windows post said Microsoft had focused the equivalent of 34,000 full-time engineers on SFI’s highest-priority security challenges since the initiative launched. That is an SFI-wide staffing figure, not the number of engineers working on Rust.
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What remains unknown about Microsoft’s Rust adoption?
- Microsoft has not published what percentage of its codebase is written in Rust.
- The cited statements do not give a company-wide timetable for moving code from C or C++ to Rust.
- They do not show that every C/C++ component will be replaced, or that the named Surface and Pluton efforts are complete.
- The 2023 Azure post establishes use and an expectation of expansion at that time, not a current service-by-service inventory.
The available evidence therefore points to selective adoption across cloud infrastructure, Windows functionality, drivers, and firmware. It does not establish a wholesale language change. Rust is one part of Microsoft’s security strategy, alongside the wider SFI effort.
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